The Twelve: God has spoken!
The Book of Jonah
To watch the sermon on Vimeo, click here.
• Do you take the Bible literally?
This is a question that might come up if you’re discussing the Bible with someone.
We, believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient Word of God.
There are certainly places where the Bible is to be taken literally. There are also places where it’s poetic (Psalms). There are places where we are to take it metaphorically (parables).
I think a right understanding of Scripture goes beyond merely saying “I take the Bible literally”
The great american theologian Francis Schaeffer said that we should hold a “full, strong, uncompromising view of Scripture” Here’s the bottom line:
• Everything in the Bible is 100% true.
It’s not all literal - you shouldn’t pluck out your eye when it causes you to sin - because that won’t fix the problem. But you absolutely can believe everything that the Bible says.
For more on “literal vs. true,” check out this blog at The Gospel Coalition
As we do an overview of Jonah, always remember the centrality of Christ in everything.
Remember: The Centrality of Christ
Additionally, keep in mind these three things as we look at Jonah:
1. The Sovereignty of God
2. The Holiness of God
3. The Love of God
These three things are continually present in the book of Jonah and in all the prophets.
They’re emphasized to varying degrees from one prophet to the next, but they’re always there.
In Jonah - they’re all three very clear.
The Overall Message of Jonah: (a question) Do you really understand God’s Mercy?
Which would also include His grace and His love. That’s actually How Jonah ends. It ends with God asking a question. I pray that you’re better able to answer that question after studying Jonah.
Jonah is a familiar story with some familiar themes. Here is the summary of the two major themes:
• You’re either moving toward God’s will or away from God’s will.
• You’re either moving toward God’s love or away from God’s love.
There’s not another option with either of these two things. There is no steering wheel and there are only two gears. Forward and Backward. You’re going one direction or the other. And those two directions are the exact opposite of each other.
Some background.
Prior to the 19th Century - almost every Biblical scholar and reader of Jonah read it as a history of actual events. The way it is written and put together indicates that it’s history and the details are factual.
Ancient tradition looked at the book as a real history of real events that actually took place.
Jesus himself referred to the story (as if we didn’t have enough already).
There is no legitimate reason for us to view the story of Jonah as anything other than a real history of real events that actually took place. And when we do. When we understand that - the book has a great impact on our lives and has much to say to us.
Jonah was a real man that lived in the 700s.He was a prophet. Nineveh was a real city. It’s in what is now Northern Iraq, near the Tigris River. Even today - there’s a shrine to “The Prophet Jonah” there.
The city was a grand city. The Capital of Assyria. It was the largest city in the world at the time.
They had beautiful hanging gardens, a 50 mile aqueduct system, and a huge beautiful palace.
It was also a wicked city, full of sin and corruption. Pretty much what you’d expect from the largest city in the world. Think: Las Vegas (Sin City), New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. There was certainly some crazy stuff going on. Nineveh was an evil city - there would obviously have been idolatry and paganism.
It was a great city and it was full of evil. As God looks at Nineveh - He sees their evil.
The more you’re around sin, the more desensitized to it you become.
A prime example this in our own culture is Television. Just a few years ago, married couples didn’t even sleep in the same bed on TV. Ricky and Lucy Ricardo slept in separate beds. Fred and Wilma Flintstone slept in separate beds. But slowly - little by little - things changed and we now have the situation on TV that we have. We have become people who use sin and sinful situations as entertainment. And often we don’t give it a second thought.
I would imagine that all the sin and debauchery and pagan religions had become so commonplace that nobody gave them a second thought. It was the new normal.
• God is concerned with holiness everywhere - not just in His own people.
Holiness isn’t just a command for believers - it’s a requirement for everyone. God created everyone (and everything) to glorify Him. When we don’t... it’s sin.
1. God’s Will
Jonah has been told by God to go to Nineveh and preach to the people there.
He did exactly the opposite of what God commanded. And he apparently thought he could get away from God. Where did he think he was going? He was certainly familiar with Psalm 139.
Be sure not to miss this: Jonah paid for his ticket. He wasn’t doing anything wrong in the eyes of the world. Don’t every try to convince yourself that, because the law or the culture thinks what you’re doing is okay means that you’re not sinning.
• Not doing what you know you should is a sin too.
What’s going on in your own life that you’re hoping God won’t notice? What have you become so numb to that you don’t give it a second thought?
• Do you really think that God won’t notice the sin in your life?
Jonah is also a demonstration of God’s sovereignty. We see it in several supernatural things going happen in Jonah.
The miracles in Jonah are demonstrations of God’s Sovereignty
Miracle 1 - the Storm
• Enter: the sovereignty of God.
This storm wasn’t just something that happened. It was something that God actively did. He was actively involved in the coming of this wind. He hurled it. Is this literal? Did God stand up there and literally throw it?
Maybe - the point here is that the wind was caused directly and intentionally by God.
The next miracle - the Lots
Do you think it was just a really cool coincidence? No. It was the hand of God pointing them to Jonah.
• Disobeying God won’t lead you to a good place.
Jonah ran - but that’s not where the story ends.
Miracle: The Sailors’ Acknowledgement
The Sailors acknowledge the sovereignty of God themselves in verse 14.
Gentiles - unbelievers - not God’s people who just minutes ago had been crying out to their own gods.
Are now acknowledging the One True God. Wow. Another miracle, right?
Miracle: The Storm Ceases
It would appear that they turned to God at this point They feared the Lord - they offered a sacrifice - made vows. They did the things we see God’s people doing.
• God is at work in this story - and we haven’t even seen the fish yet!
The Next Miracle: the Fish
We can’t miss point here, that:
• God is at work.
The point of the fish -
God sent the fish to save Him and deliver Him. The power of God over and over is seen through Jonah.
Jonah’ Psalm in Chapter 2 is beautiful and ends with Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Who saved Jonah? God.
• Do you realize that you were as lost as Jonah was?
Running from God. You were foolish, disobedient, a slave to passion and pleasure, hating others, not doing good, not seeking God. And HE SAVED YOU!.
The second half is about: God’s Love
We can have all the theological understanding in the world, but if we don’t obey God - especially in His command to take the message of His love to others - we’re not glorifying Him.
• If you’re not sharing the gospel with others, you don’t really understand the gospel.
(Not like you should anyway.)
The Gospel is a proclamation. The gospel carries with it - in its very definition - sharing it.
• 1 Corinthians 9:16 – For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
• What do you do with the opportunities God places in front of you?
The Next Miracle: Repentance
An entire city repenting? Forsaking the sin that was clearly engrained in their culture and in their very thinking? That’s a miracle of God.
• Repentance is always a miracle of God.
My own salvation - it’s a miracle. God took this heart of stone and made it into a heart of flesh.
• Trust in Christ - He is the only one who can save you.
It all comes together in Chapter 4. Remember - this story isn’t about a fish.
• It’s about the One and only Sovereign God who Loves His people so much that He went to great lengths to save them.
You might not get angry when someone you don’t like gets saved. You probably like the idea. You’d be okay with it. But - are you really concerned about those who are perishing? Those who are lost? In truth it’s one or the other. To not share the gospel with someone that you know is dying is, I think, a form of hatred toward them.
As we look at the final chapter in Jonah – the point of Jonah begins to come into focus.
• Our hearts need to have the right attitude.
If Jonah - who was a prophet - who went through all that He went through - saw all that He saw.
Who not only saw God’s sovereignty in all the situations but actually lived them. Who understood God’s love. Who saw a huge city repent and turn to God. If he can have a hard heart toward God’s love and mercy being poured out on others...
• How much more can my heart be hard toward the things of God?
If Jonah had these struggles, how much more do we need to guard our own hearts against the same thing?
Jonah didn’t want to go. This is the opposite of the mindset we should have. Who are you not showing care for? Do you realize that you have the message of salvation and you have been given the joy and privilege of being sent to share that. How can you not care enough to share it with others? Those that God has put in your path?
Romans 10:11-17 – For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Simply put - we need to have a passion to see people repenting and trusting in Christ.
Reflection Questions:
• How are you being disobedient?
It’s a specific question. You should think through and give a specific answer.
• Are you running from God’s love?
If you don’t know Christ. If you haven’t turned from your selfish, sinful ways to trust in Christ, destruction is where you’re headed. I would plead with you. Come to Christ. Trust in Him alone to provide salvation.
• Who/Where is your Nineveh?
Who around you doesn’t know the Gospel? What are you doing to know them better and take the message of Christ to them?
• Are you being intentional about sharing the Gospel with others?
If you’re not being intentional about sharing the gospel with others you’re fleeing to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
Jonah ends rather abruptly with a question.
4:11 – And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
Should I not show mercy to people who don’t deserve it?
• How can we, who have known the mercy of God and benefit from it, not show that same mercy to others? How can we not show them the love that we have been shown by sharing with them what they need to hear the most?
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